USA Car Hire Excess Insurance
Car hire insurance in USA & Canada is slightly different to hiring a car in the UK or Europe. Usually, in the USA, Canada and the rest of the Americas collision damage waiver (CDW) is not included in your car rental agreement, meaning you will need to purchase this on top of your car hire agreement.
Our car hire excess insurance policy for the USA and Canada includes CDW meaning you won’t have to fork out at the car rental desk.
Monument Valley, Utah, USA
What Is Different About Car Hire Excess Insurance in USA & Canada?
When you hire a car in the USA, Canada and the rest of the Americas (our USA policy covers you in USA, Canada, Caribbean, South America and Central America), insurance for driving is usually not included in the cost of the rental, as it is here in the UK or in Europe. So in order to ensure you are covered in the event of an accident or collision you need to buy hire car insurance. Car hire insurance goes by several names in the USA but is essentially universally known as either Collision Damage Waiver (CDW) & Loss Damage Waiver (LDW)
Collision Damage Waiver (CDW) & Loss Damage Waiver (LDW) – as the name suggests this covers you in the event of damage to or loss/theft of the hire car vehicle. This is any accidental damage caused by an accident, fire, vandalism, theft to your rental car. Our policy covers you for up to £100,000 for any damages with no excess due.
Frequently Asked Questions: USA & Canada
Do I need CDW and LDW if I'm driving in the USA?
While not universally compulsory, a lot of car hire companies will not let you drive without CDW or LDW. This is usually available to buy at the car rental desk but can cost as much as £25 per day – sometimes more than the cost of renting the car. If there is a requirement for CDW and/or LDW in the rental agreement then they may ask to see your CDW/LDW policy at the rental desk prior to letting you drive.
Remember: CDW/LDW is NOT a requirement in the UK and Europe and usually it is included in the cost of your rental. So if you buy our cost saving car hire excess insurance policies for Europe or the UK, then remember to inform the car hire company you do not wish to purchase their excess insurance. No need to show them your excess insurance policy documents.
What if I don't buy CDW or LDW and it is not compulsory as part of the rental agreement?
If you decide to travel and drive without CDW or LDW then you will be liable for the entire cost of any issues arising in the event of damage, theft, loss or fire of your rental vehicle. These costs can run into the thousands and may be as high as replacing the entire vehicle in the event of theft of the car hire vehicle.
Policy Documents
The USA & Canada are amazing places to drive through. Whether you’re cruising along Route 1 in California or exploring the grand splendour of the Rocky Mountains, there really is nowhere else like it on earth. It’s important before you set off on your journey that you have the necessary cover.
Car hire excess insurance works slightly differently in the USA & Canada when compared to the rest of the world. You need to make sure you have your own collision damage waiver (CDW), which our USA & Canada policy includes. In Europe and UK this is included as part of your car rental agreement, in the USA & Canada it is usually not.
In addition to CDW our policies cover a host of other things. Take a look at our policy details below to get the details of what’s covered when you buy a policy with CarHireExcess.insure:
Single Trip Policy Wording
Annual Policy Wording
Key Facts - Policy Wording
Car Hire Excess Around the World
Our UK and European insurance policy is perfect for family driving holidays or weekends away in the countryside in a hire car. If you are planning on making multiple trips to Europe this year or are planning on hiring a car for more than 17 days then our annual policy will work out cheaper for you.
If you are traveling to Australia, South Africa or somewhere else far flung then you’ll need our Worldwide excess insurance policy. If you are planning on hiring a car for three weeks or more then you should get our annual policy as it will work out cheaper than our 21 day daily policy.
Traveling to USA, Canada, Mexico or South America? Car hire insurance is slightly different in these places as it does not include Collision Damage Waiver (CDW) in the policy, commonly included in the UK and Europe. Our policy has you covered with CDW included in our USA & Canada policies.
All prices include IPT
